Bottle cap



Dec. 21, 1943. B, M HARVEY E -l-AL 2,337,241

BOTTLE CAP Filed May 27, 1941 C 2 1315161719 f, 4. f 5' 2 im Z aPatented Dec. 21, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEv BOTTLE CAP BeatriceM. Harvey and Henry B. Harvey, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application May 27, 1941, Serial No. 395,474

2 claims. (Cl. 21S-4s) Our invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in bottle caps of the crown type and .has for its principalobject the provision oi a cap of the character described which may bereadily removed from the bottle mouth Without the use of the usual formof cap remover or other implement.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a cap ofthe character described provided with an integral finger-engagingportion depending from the bottom edge o'f the cap ange and when the capis in position on the bottle mouth adapted to be engaged by the lingersand bent to be used as a lever for deforming the top and ilange of thecap whereby the cap may be readily removed from the bottle mouth.

Another object of the invention consists in the provision of a cap ofthe character described having a fmger-engagingportion normallydepending from the bottom edge of the cap ange and parallel with theneck of the bottle, a projection being formed thereon and adapted whenthe nger-engaging portion is bent upwardly to overlie and engage the topof the cap and act as a fulcrum on manipulation of the ringer-engagingportion to deform the cap top and ilange to permit the ready removal ofthe cap from the bottle mouth.

Still a. further object of the invention consists in the provision of acap of the character described having an integral linger-engaging prtionnormally depending from the bottom edg of the cap flange, theringer-engaging portion being adapted to be used as a lever for removingthe cap from the bottle mouth and having a reinforcing edge flange andweakened portions, the edge flange giving strength to the nger-engagingportion while the weakened portions permit bending into the desiredpositions on manipulation for removing the cap.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, our invention consists in the novel details ofconstruction, and arrangement of parts, described in the followingspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and while wehave illustrated and described the preferred embodiments oftheinvention, as they now appear to us, it will be understood that suchchanges may be made as will fall within the scope of the appendedclaims.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a top plan of the cap applied to th mouth of a bottle. l

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the cap applied to a bottle mouth.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section through the cap anda portion of the bottle mouth with the nger-engaging portion positionedto be engaged by the iingers.

1 Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the finger-engaging portionbent into raised position for use as a lever in removing the' cap; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 after initial pressure has beenapplied and the top and flange of the cap distorted.

In using the well-known forms of bottle caps it is the usual custom touse a cap remover or other implement for removing the cap from thebottle .mouth Often these cap removers become misplaced or are notavailable for other reasons" thereby causing considerable inconvenience.As'fstated above it is an object of our invention to provide' a capwhich may be removed from the bottle mouth without the use of 'theWell-known form or forms of cap remover. The cap is provided with anintegral finger-engaging portion which may be manipulated for use as alever to deform the cap top and flange and permit the easy removal ofthe cap from the bottle mouth.

In the drawing a. indicates a portion of a bottle neck, b the beadedmouth portion thereof, and c indicates generally the bottle cap adaptedto be placed on the beaded mouth portion of the bottle as is quiteclearly illustrated in the drawing. The bottle cap is formed of usualmaterial, relatively thin metal, and includes the top portion l,depending corrugated ange 2 and ngerengaging portion 3. A cork disc 4 isinserted within the cap, beneath the top portion l and within theconnues of the ange 2, in the usual manner, for sealing purposes. Thelinger-engaging portion 3 is provided with an opening 5, the upper edgeof which is substantially on a line with the bottom edge of the flange2, as is illustrated more particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawing, andthis opening is positioned between the longitudinal edges of thefinger-engaging portion to provide the relatively narrow strips 6 for apurpose which will be later brought out. A projection is pressedoutwardly from the nger-engaging member 3 to provide the oppositelyinclined surfaces 'l and 8 and transversely extending bead or shoulder 9which will engage the top of the cap as shown more particularly in Figs.4 and 5 of the drawing. when the linger-engaging portion is bentupwardly to be used as a lever in removing the cap. Edges of theringer-engaging member 3 are bent upwardly to provide reinforcing angesI along longitudinal edges thereof and the reinforcing flange II alongthe bottom edge. Notches I2 are formed in the flanges I0 to permit easybending at these points as will be later brought out. The upper ends I3,of the flanges III, terminate short of the bottom edge of the flange 2to permit ready bending of the member 3 at the points I 4.

As shown more particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawing the ,finger-engagingportion or member 3 where it is formed with the iiange 2 is of a widthcorresponding substantially to the width of three corrugations of theflange shown at I5, I6 and I'I.

From the above detailed description it is thought that the constructionof our improved form of cap will be clearly understood. Thefinger-engaging portion or member 3, when the cap is applied tothebottle mouth, preferably is positioned to contact with the neck of thebottle or slightly spaced therefrom. In Fig. 3 of the drawing we haveillustrated the linger-engaging portion or member 3 bent slightly fromthe bottle neck and when it is desired to remove the cap the portion ormember will be bent upwardly into the position shown more particularlyin Fig. 4 of the drawing with the bead or shoulder 9 contacting with thetop of the cap and the inclined surface 'I positioned parallel with thetop of the cap. The finger-engaging portion will extend at the angleshown and on pressing downwardly on the same the top of the cap andflange will be distorted as shown in Fig. 5 and a further pressure willremove the cap -from the bottle mouth. The flange of the cap will bedistorted a distance of substantially ve of the corrugations, includingthe corrugations I8 and I9 beyond the corrugations I5 and I 'Irespectively. This is a suiiicient distance to deform the ilange torelease the same from the beaded mouth b and permit easy removal of thecap. When the member or portion 3 is swung outwardly and upwardly itwill bend at the points indicated at I4 and as there are relativelynarrow strips between the opening 5 and the longitudinal edges of themember this bending takes place without undue resistance. At the sametime the notches I2 in the turned-up flanges IIJ permit ready bending atthese points. The up-turned edges forming the flanges IU and IInaturally reinforce the member 3 and give sui'iicient strength theretofor manipulation, as has been brought out. The

bead or shoulder 9 engages the top of the cap inwardly about two-fths ofits diameter and within the circumference of the bottle mouth. When theiinger-engaging portion or lever is bent into the position shown inFigs. 4 and 5 the portions of the ange I0, adjacent the edge of the capare received in the corrugations of the cap iiange and bear against theange to aid in bending the same from the bottle mouth as will beapparent.

Having fully described our invention what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A bottle cap having a depending securing flange to embrace a bottlemouth and a sheet metal lever having one end portion integral with saidflange and an elongated continuation thereof, said continuation havingopposite side edge portions connected by an intermediate web, adapted tobe projected over said cap to present an operating member to be engagedby the hand to press the same towards the cap, in the removal operation,a part of the web of said elongated continuation intermediate the sideedge portions of the same being bellied to project towards the cap andconstitute a fulcrum to contact the cap in said removal operation, saidbellied portion possessing opposite side walls adjoining the said sideedge portions and rendering said fulcrum stable in directions laterallyof the lever.

2. A bottle cap having a depending securing flange to embrace a bottlemouth and a sheet metal lever having one end portion integral with saidflange and an elongated continuation thereof, said continuation havingopposite side edge portions connected by an intermediate web, adapted tobe projected over said cap to present an operating member to be engagedby the hand to press the same towards the cap, in the removal operation,a part of the web of said elongated continuation intermediate the sideedge portions of the same being bellied to project towards the cap andconstitute a fulcrum to contact the cap in said removal operation, saidbellied portion possessing opposite side walls adjoining the said sideedge portions and rendering said fulcrum stable in directions laterallyof the lever, the bellied portion also possessing an inclined bracerunning from the fulcrum to the normal portion of the web of theelongated portion adjoining the bellied portion thereof.

BEATRICE M. HARVEY. HENRY B. HARVEY.

